Fence dropper

ABSTRACT

A fence dropper which may be used as a spacer or a post and which is suitable for supporting the wires of a wire fence, the fence dropper being provided with a series of tongues each of which is joined to but spaced from one edge of the body portion by a root. Each tongue is provided with a forwardly extending portion and a return portion which constitute with the body of the dropper a wire retaining aperture, but since the tongues are spaced from the dropper by their roots, the tongues form with the dropper edge slots in a plane which is at right angles to a fence, the arrangement then being such that a dropper may be positioned against a fence with wires in respective slots and rotated through 90* whereupon the wires become contained within the wire retaining recesses.

United States Patent [191 Leiblich 451 Feb. 11, 1975 FENCE DROPPER 211 App]. No.2 361,993

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 23, 1972 Australia 9049/72 [52] U.S. Cl. 256/47, 256/10 [51] Int. Cl E04h 17/20 [58] Field of Search 256/47, 48, 10

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 191,881 6/1877 Plane 256/48 432,930 7/1890 Bond 256/48 774,099 11/1904 Narsh 256/47 2,899,175 8/1959 Culver et a]. 256/48 3,502,303 3/1970 Bishop 256/48 3,776,522 12/1973 Bartlett 256/47 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,443,375 5/1965 France 256/47 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Assistant Examiner-Alex Grosz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jay L. Chaskin, Esq.

[57] ABSTRACT A fence dropper which may be used as a spacer or a post and which is suitable for supporting the wires of a wire fence, the fence dropper being provided with a series of tongues each of which is joined to but spaced from one edge of the body portion by a root. Each tongue is provided with a forwardly extending portion and a return portion which constitute with the body of the dropper a wire retaining aperture, but since the tongues are spaced from the dropper by their roots, the tongues form with the dropper edge slots in a plane which is at right angles to a fence, the arrangement then being such that a dropper may be positioned against a fence withwires in respective slots contained within the wire retaining recesses.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB] 1 I 75 SHEET 1 OF 4 PATENTEB FEB] 1 I975 SHEET 2 BF 4 PATENTEU 11975 3. 865.349

' SHEET 3 [IF 4 I nv IIIIIIIII T ED FEB] I I975 SHEET u UF 4 I I I I I FENCE DROPPER I This invention relates to a fence dropper which is useful for retaining the wires of fences in spaced relationship, and to the method of production of such a fence dropper, (the word dropper including a spacer or a post).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION tions. A second type of dropper which is used is a timber dropper wherein the wires of a fence are secured by means of staples or by means of tie wires, but these tend to split upon aging and are also slow to position. Furthermore they are easily broken by stock. A third type of fence dropper which is in use is a wire type, but although the wire type is quickly and easily positioned, it is insufficiently rigid to resist bending.

MAIN OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The main objects of this invention are to provide a fence dropper which is of low cost, which may be formed to have ample strength in a plane at right angles to the plane ofa fence which it supports without the use of excessive material, and which is quickly and easily positioned onto or removed from fence wires.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With some of the previously proposed fence droppers, tongues have been pierced from the outer edges but thepunchings constituted a loss of effective metal. In order to obtain maximum economy in the forming of fence droppers, further according to this invention a strip of metal for the forming of two fence droppers is sheared in such a way as to form complementary tongues and tongue forming recesses which are all of identical shape and size. There are then no punchings and therefore a maximum economy can be achieved. The shearing operation can take place either before or after the forming operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fence dropper used as a post and supporting a wire fence,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pair of fence droppers joined together by a flange, the dotted lines representing the shear line between the droppers,

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a dropper fully formed,

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a post positioned on a fence with a wire in a slot between a tongue and an edge of the dropper,

FIG. 5 is a corresponding view showing the dropper rotated so as to support the wire, and tied in place,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section on line 6-6 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the dropper supports an insulator for a wire to which an electricpotential is to be applied,

FIG. 8 is a section taken on line s s of FIG. 7, and

In H19 Firct pmlqndimant 0 Font": rlrnnnnr 1n :n LA-MAA which is subsequently sheared to form tongues and recesses in both portions, each tongue of one dropper being complementary in shape to the recess of the other. Since maximum strength is required in the plane at right angles to the plane of the fence, the body portion 11 is formed to provide a higher moment of inertia in the plane at right angles to the plane of the fence than in the plane of the fence.

The assembly of a fence dropper of this invention on a fence is simply achieved by presenting the edge 13 of the fence dropper 10 having the tongues to one side of the wires of the fence, the wires being in the slots between the tongues 12 and edge 13, and rotating the fence dropper to lie parallel with the fence, the wires of the fence then being accommodated in the apertures formed between the tongue and the body portion in the side elevation as shown in FIG. 6, and the dropper then being wired to a fence wire by a tie wire 25 (FIG. The sole function of the tie wire which wires the dropper to the fence is to prevent rotation and the wire does not function as a load bearing member under normal usage.

The dropper of this invention may also be used as a frame member for a structure having grid-like panels.

A brief consideration of the above embodiments will indicate that the invention makes possible an inexpen sive and effective fence dropper which is easily positioned on the wires of a fence. It will be appreciated that variations such as the inclusion of a slotted flange on the edge opposite the tongues, changes of the cross sectional shape of the body portion of the dropper, and certain changes in the configuration of the tongues can lie within the scope of the invention.

For example in the second embodiment of FIG. 9, the dropper is formed to a channel shape, the edge 13 being one edge of a flange 27, there being a flange 28 parallel thereto, and a web 29 joining the flanges 27 and 28, the flanges and web between them forming the body portion 11. In this embodiment two blanks are sheared with the tongue profiles, and the body portions subsequently formed.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the invention is simply adapted to the support of a wire to which an electric potential is to be applied. A short length of thermoplastics (P.V.C.) tube 31 is secured to one face of the dropper 10 by a tie wire 35 which engages a tongue 12, the fence wire 21 being locked in a slot 33 by a locking pin 34. The tube 31 functions as an insulator.

In both embodiments the tongues are blanked but not formed in the end of a dropper which is to be driven into the ground. That end is of tapered shape, having a sharp point. The flanges and tongues may be stiffened by means of ribs formed into them if this is required.

What I claim is:

l. A fence dropper having a body portion arranged to extend rearwardly away from the plane of a fence when supported by the dropper, a flange extending along at least one edge of the body portion. a plurality of tongues spaced from one another and lying beyond the outer edge of said flange, each tongue having at its root a bridge portion joining it to but spacing it from said flange outer edge and extending forwardly of said plane from said root, each tongue being of identical size and shape, the recess formed between a said tongue and the edge from which it is spaced by said root and also between that said tongue and an adjacent said tongue has its size and shape identical to the tongue size and shape, said tongue further having a return portion which terminates rearwardly of said plane to thereby define with said body portion a wire retaining aperture extending across said plane of the fence.

2. A fence dropper according to claim 1 wherein the body portion has a cross section portion of which is U" shape.

3. A fence dropper according to claim 2 wherein the body portion has a further flange outstanding therefrom which constitutes an edge opposite said edge having the tongues outstanding therefrom.

4. A fence dropper according to claim 1 wherein the body portion has a cross section which is of channel shape, being provided with a further flange spaced from and parallel to the first said flange, and a web joining the flanges, one of said flanges lying substantially in said plane of the fence. 

1. A fence dropper having a body portion arranged to extend rearwardly away from the plane of a fence when supported by the dropper, a flange extending along at least one edge of the body portion, a plurality of tongues spaced from one another and lying beyond the outer edge of said flange, each tongue having at its root a bridge portion joining it to but spacing it from said flange outer edge and extending forwardly of said plane from said root, each tongue being of identical size and shape, the recess formed between a said tongue and the edge from which it is spaced by said root and also between that said tongue and an adjacent said tongue has its size and shape identical to the tongue size and shape, said tongue further having a return portion which terminates rearwardly of said plane to thereby define with said body portion a wire retaining aperture extending across said plane of the fence.
 2. A fence dropper according to claim 1 wherein the body portion has a cross section portion of which is ''''U'''' shape.
 3. A fence dropper according to claim 2 wherein the body portion has a further flange outstanding therefrom which constitutes an edge opposite said edge having the tongues outstanding therefrom.
 4. A fence dropper according to claim 1 wherein the body portion has a cross section which is of channel shape, being provided with a further flange spaced from and parallel to the first said flange, and a web joining the flanges, one of said flanges lying substantially in said plane of the fence. 